plate no. 5885
Tata and Katia in the mirror
Zinaida Serebriakova, 1917
recreation guide
Zinaida Serebriakova’s *Tata and Katia in the mirror* (1917) is a genre painting that captures an intimate, everyday moment, consistent with the definition of genre art which portrays ordinary people engaged in common activities, often using family members as models (Source 6). The work is executed in oil, a medium that allows for the rich color modulation and textural depth characteristic of early 20th-century Russian modernism. While the specific visual details of the room layout or clothing patterns are not described in the provided sources, the painting relies on the artist’s mastery of flesh tones and color contrast to render the figures with vitality. The composition likely utilizes the principles of simultaneous contrast to harmonize the colors of the figures with their surroundings, ensuring that the lightest tones are lowered and darkest heightened to create visual cohesion (Source 3).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (White, Yellow Ochre, Light Red, Vermilion, Rose Madder, Cobalt, Emerald, Oxide of Chromium, Raw/Burnt Umber, Ivory Black) | Primary palette for direct painting in color, as recommended for flesh tones and general color work. | Standard artist-grade oil paints |
| Linseed Oil | Drying oil medium for mixing paints, particularly for subsequent layers. | Refined linseed oil |
| Spirits of Turpentine | Thinner for the first painting to allow the paint to dry 'dead' and remain slightly absorbent for subsequent layers. | Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil painting. | Linen canvas or wood panel, primed with gesso |
| Brushes | Application of paint in direct color (prima) technique. | Hog bristle and sable brushes |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared with a toned ground rather than a stark white one, as the instructions for direct painting suggest substituting 'toned colour for uncoloured tone' to facilitate the perception of light and shadow (Source 1). This helps in judging values and colors more accurately from the start.
underdrawing
The sources do not specify Serebriakova’s underdrawing method for this specific work. However, for direct painting (prima), the underdrawing should be light and non-intrusive, allowing the color to define the form. The focus is on painting directly from life or a strong reference, minimizing preliminary sketching that might constrain the fluidity of the color application (Source 1).
underpainting
This technique is not applicable in the traditional sense of a separate monochrome underpainting layer, as the instructions advocate for 'painting in direct colour (prima)' where the first layer establishes both tone and color (Source 1). The first pass serves as the underpainting.
color palette
Flesh Tones
Yellow Ochre, Light Red, Vermilion, Rose Madder, White
Rendering the skin of the figures, utilizing the direct color method.
Shadows and Depth
Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black, Cobalt
Creating depth and defining forms without muddying the colors, using complementary contrasts.
Highlights
White (two types), Yellow Ochre
Brightening areas, ensuring that lightening does not shift the hue undesirably by adding adjacent colors if necessary (Source 2).
Background/Environment
Emerald, Oxide of Chromium, Cobalt, Umbers
Harmonizing with the figures through simultaneous contrast, ensuring the background colors do not compete but support the main subjects (Source 3).
composition
The composition likely emphasizes the relationship between the figures and their environment, using the elements of design such as line, shape, and value to guide the viewer’s eye (Source 5). As a genre painting, it focuses on the interaction of the figures rather than a grand narrative, relying on the naturalistic arrangement of ordinary life (Source 6). The use of simultaneous contrast ensures that the colors of the figures and the background are harmonized, with the lightest tones lowered and darkest heightened to create a unified visual experience (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the main forms and positions of the figures on the toned ground. Avoid heavy lines that will show through the paint.
Tip — Keep the drawing loose to allow for adjustments during the painting process.
Direct painting preparation
first pass
step 02
Mix paints with spirits of turpentine alone for the first layer. Apply color directly to the canvas, establishing the basic tones and hues of the flesh and background.
Tip — Turpentine dries 'dead' and leaves the paint slightly absorbent, which helps subsequent layers adhere better (Source 1).
Prima (direct color)
refining
step 03
Switch to linseed oil for mixing paints in subsequent layers. Refine the flesh tones, paying attention to the modifications of light and color caused by contiguous colors.
Tip — Be aware of simultaneous contrast; the color of one area will affect the perception of adjacent areas (Source 3).
Glazing and scumbling
step 04
Adjust the brightness and saturation of colors by mixing with white, black, or complementary colors. Avoid adding black to yellows, oranges, or reds as it can shift the hue toward green or blue.
Tip — Use complementary colors to darken without shifting hue, and add adjacent colors to correct hue shifts when lightening with white (Source 2).
Color mixing
finishing
step 05
Finalize the details, ensuring that the harmonization of colors is complete. Check for any areas where the paint may appear 'soapy' due to excess oil, and adjust if necessary.
Tip — Ensure that the surface is not overly oily, which can lead to uneven drying and cracking (Source 1).
Final adjustments
varnishing
step 06
Allow the painting to dry completely before applying a varnish. This will protect the surface and enhance the depth of the colors.
Tip — Wait several months for the oil to fully cure before varnishing.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Direct Painting (Prima)
Painting in color directly from the start, using turpentine for the first layer to keep the surface absorbent and oil for subsequent layers to build depth and richness.
Simultaneous Contrast
Using the principle that adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance, the painter adjusts tones to ensure harmony, lowering lightest tones and heightening darkest ones.
Color Mixing with Complements
Darkening colors by adding their complements rather than black to avoid hue shifts, and correcting hue shifts when lightening with white by adding adjacent colors.
common pitfalls
- →Using too much oil in the first layer, which can darken the color and make the surface 'soapy,' leading to poor adhesion of subsequent layers (Source 1).
- →Adding black to warm colors (yellows, oranges, reds) to darken them, which can cause an undesirable shift toward green or blue hues (Source 2).
- →Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to colors that appear discordant or inaccurate in relation to their surroundings (Source 3).
- →Over-modeling or becoming too tied down to the initial outline, which can result in a stiff and lifeless appearance (Source 8).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific details of the room layout, clothing patterns, and jewelry are not described in the sources and cannot be accurately recreated without visual reference.
- ·The exact proportions and poses of Tata and Katia are not specified, requiring the artist to rely on a photograph or memory of the original artwork.
- ·Serebriakova’s specific brushwork style for this painting is not detailed, so the artist must infer from general Art Nouveau and early modernist practices.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- CHAPTER XV PAINTING IN COLOUR DIRECT FROM LIFE — applied to Palette selection, use of turpentine vs. oil, and direct painting technique.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and harmonizing colors.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Mixing colors, avoiding hue shifts, and using complements.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 4 — applied to Materials and drying oils.
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to General compositional elements.
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — part 1 — applied to Context of genre painting and use of family members as models.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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